08 October 2010

Now that you've seen some of my trompe l'oeil painting, in my last post, let me introduce you to some incredible-holycow-knock-your-sock-off works by other artists. Art history is full of examples of trompe l'oeil painting, going back as far as Roman pompeii. In fact, the genre has never faded from popularity since the Renaissance, and has been used for both fine art paintings, as well as murals in homes, castles, churches and other public buildings, for centuries. As a child, I remember seeing trompe l'oeil paintings and wishing I could do something similar "some day". I first studied this type of painting when I was in college (one of my majors being Art History). Then studying abroad, and traveling throughout Europe, I was absolutely taken with actual examples of trompe l'oeil painting on walls, ceilings, building facades, etc., and I have been in love ever since!

The art of trompe l'oeil is painstakingly slow. It is the artist's meticulous attention to detail, including light and shadow, that make two-dimensional paintings appear to be 3D. In the 1960's, artists like Richard Estes and Chuck Close began experimenting with photorealism and then came superrealism - all basically the same thing - trompe l'oeil painting, to fool the eye of the beholder into perceiving the work of art as real life.

HISTORIC EXAMPLES OF THE ART

One of my favorite examples of this art form is Escaping Criticism (above) by the Spanish artist, Pere Borrel del Caso, in 1874. It incorporates a tongue-in-cheek attitude that is present in many trompe l'oeil paintings. Because the artist is trying to fool the viewer's eye, he or she often injects an element of fun into the fooling. In other words, the trompe l'oeil artist deliberately attempts to trick the viewer, but then makes sure the viewer realizes it, too.

The Bachelor's Drawer, by Dutch painter, John Haberle, c. 1890, depicts everyday objects that remain popular subjects of trompe l'oeil paintings to this day: photos, postcards, money, playing cards, stamps, tickets and other personal items. Following are more examples of this charming theme:

Edward Collier, c. 1699

Johann Heinrich Fussli, 1750

Cornelius Gijsbrechts, 1671

Cornelius Gijsbrechts, 1675

Michelangelo Meucci, 1840-90

Trompe l'oeil also exists beyond the realm of the canvas and plaster surface. Here is a late 19th c. French majolica plate.

MURALS - OLD & NEW

Painted murals on walls - both interior (including ceilings) and exterior - have been popular since trompe l'oeil was invented. In fact the first known examples of the style were on the walls of villas at Pompeii, so it's safe to assume that they go back into dates B.C.

Building facade in Brussels, covering the exterior of the new Magritte Museum before it opened. According to one of my readers, Hugo H., behind the "curtain" you can see Magritte's probably most famous painting, "Her Rijk Der Lichten" (The Empire of Lights).